"That person wearing the mask... Something seemed familiar about him..." Elos ponders out loud. "We should follow his tracks and see if he can lead us to Falir."

The group follows Elos through the forest. They travel east for many days. The last leaves fall as winter begins to descend on the land.

After a particularly long day, the group loses the trail. Luckily, it does not matter. They have reached the mountains that serve as the border between the Shadow Lands and Wuldenburg. A small, fortified cave is seen just ahead with three guardsmen. They do not fly the colors of any nation, but they do bear the crest of a dragon upon their tunics.

"I feel like I've seen these men before." says Elos. "No matter, how shall we handle this? Do we approach them in peace, fight our way into the cave or do we search for another place to rest for the night? The sun is setting and I do not feel like spending another night freezing myself to sleep."

"Ho there, I seem to have lost myself in these woods after a North Man raid. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?" he says.

"Fortune does not favor you, stranger. There is no right direction when you travel in the Shadow Lands." says the gate captain. He calls over his shoulder to the others, "Fetch me more men, it looks like this one won't go down so easily."

While the other guard musters more men, the gate captain keeps his sword at Marko's neck.

"You've killed before, I see it in your eyes. Well, I've killed too. Plenty more than you, I imagine. It's amazing how soft a man is beneath armor. So easy to cut and pierce..." he says.

The other guards arrive. They're heavily armored. Two crossbowmen have their sights set on the weak spots in Marko's armor.

"I'll make this simple, stranger. Surrender that pretty sword you have slung on your back and come quietly or we'll have fun kicking your head around for sport. What'll it be?"

"I am Marko Hund, the cursed wolf knight. I've been thrown out for killing too many fuckers like you, but this is great. I'd never thought I'd get a chance to eat more than ten men in one day. I'll be chewing the stringy meat off of your bones tonight."

Marko then charges the first man, leaving open a weak spot so that he can become a wolfman again while still being able to strike the man attacking him.

Patrick sneaks up to a tree and prepares to cast fire at a crossbowman should things go awry.

Elos and Aoishi do the same.

Marko laughs proudly. He stares the gate captain in the face and prepares to speak when suddenly...

... A crimson bolt of energy strikes him in the chest! Marko is paralyzed instantly.

"Do you know who this is?" asks the hooded man calmly to the gate captain.The gate captain shakes his head."This is Marko Hund." says the hooded man, his tone eerily content. "He is cursed to become a beast when you spill his blood. If you were to strike him, it would be the last action you and your men would ever take. Rather than find out more about him, you simply placed him in a hostile situation. How is Her Majesty to feel safe when you fail to recognize these threats to her sovereignty?"

The hooded man stretches forth his hands. Green energy rises out of the gate captains body until it engulfs him in dark flames.

Some of the guards turn away as their captain's screams rise towards the skies. Soon, there is nothing left of him.

"Sir Hund," addresses the hooded man politely. "There is no reason why we can't discuss the terms of your surrender peacefully. You are in the company of an Elf, a Dar'Duathan and an easterner. Tell them to lay down their arms and submit to these men or I'll kill you all where you stand."